Dishwasher appliances generally include a tub that defines a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing. Certain dishwasher assemblies also include a rack assembly slidably mounted within the wash chamber. A user can load articles, such as plates, bowls, glasses, and/or cups, into the rack assembly, and the rack assembly can support such articles within the wash chamber during operation of the dishwasher appliance.
Certain dishwasher appliances also include spray arms for directing wash fluid onto articles within the wash chamber during operation of the dishwasher appliance. The spray arms are generally rotatably mounted with the wash chamber in order to improve wash fluid coverage of articles within the wash chamber. To assist with distributing wash fluid evenly within the wash chamber, the spray arms can include a lower spray arm position below a lower rack assembly, a middle spray arm positioned at a bottom of an upper rack assembly, and an upper spray arm positioned above the upper rack assembly. The lower spray arm is generally configured to clean articles within the lower rack assembly, and the middle and upper spray arms are generally configured to clean articles within the upper rack assembly.
During rotation, spray arms generally define a circular spray area. However, wash chambers generally have a rectangular or square cross-section. Thus, it can be difficult to direct wash fluid towards certain portions of the wash chamber with such rotating spray arms. Accordingly, a spray assembly for a dishwasher appliance with features for directing a uniform or even spray of wash fluid towards a rack assembly of the dishwasher appliance would be useful.
In addition, the middle spray arm can occupy a large volume of space within the tub. In particular, the middle spray arm can occupy a large volume of space between the lower and upper rack assemblies. Thus, the middle spray arm can negatively affect a dishwasher appliance consumer's impression of the dishwasher's capacity. In addition, large and/or tall articles positioned within the lower rack assembly can interfere with operation of the middle spray arm. In particular, the middle spray arm can impact large articles positioned within the lower rack assembly, and such articles can limit rotation of middle spray arm and impede operation of the dishwasher appliance.
Accordingly, a dishwasher appliance with features for assisting with preventing large articles positioned within a rack assembly of the dishwasher appliance from interfering with operation of the dishwasher appliance would be useful. In addition, a dishwasher appliance with features for assisting with providing a positive impression of a dishwasher appliance capacity to a dishwasher appliance consumer would be useful.